What will Advanced Teacher Status (ATS) do for you?
ATS offers a step up from Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status to recognise advanced teachers and trainers with significant experience who can demonstrate, at a high level, mastery, in three major competencies:
Continuing self-improvement and development of pedagogical practice and subject specialism.
Commitment to the development of others through coaching and mentoring activity with colleagues.
Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders and effect change in curriculum, and improve organisational quality and development.
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ATS will be an opportunity for you to focus on your personal development, diagnose your strengths and development needs, and be supported by a mentor throughout the process within a structure that is flexible to your needs.
You will showcase excellent practice, subject knowledge, commitment to developing others and an ability to influence stakeholders, effecting change in an organisation or network. The programme offers a unique combination of personal and professional challenges and insights.
You will embark on a journey to explore the key components of what it means to be an advanced practitioner, and demonstrate your ability to diagnose, plan, act and reflect.
In summary, the ATS programme enables you to:
reflect on your practice to further improve your teaching and learning
develop skills in mentoring colleagues to bring about changes in your own and others’ practice
maintain and update your subject knowledge and educational research
apply understanding of effective practice in teaching and learning
critically evaluate practice and assess its impact
contribute to organisational development and improvement
develop curriculum or teaching and learning leadership skills.
Achievement of ATS will enable you to:
gain Chartered Teacher Status
demonstrate to employers and colleagues your mastery in teaching or training
advance your career in terms of progressing to more senior roles
use ATS as a designation in your signature and profile
upgrade your SET membership to Fellow.
Who is ATS intended for?
ATS is aimed at experienced teachers and trainers who have been qualified for four years or more and hold QTLS and are already working at the level of an advanced practitioner. Applicants will have already developed and consistently demonstrated a high level of pedagogical and occupational/subject expertise.
What is an advanced practitioner?
Demonstrates effective practice in teaching and learning to the highest standard.
Shares their high level pedagogical/subject expertise through networking, coaching or mentoring.
Has high level technical or academic subject knowledge and professional experience.
Can support colleagues to improve learner and learning experiences.
Can critically evaluate their practice with colleagues or peers and assess its impact.
Can contribute strategically to the developing curriculum and organisational development.
Typical roles held by advanced practitioners are senior teachers, trainers or assessors, curriculum managers or coordinators, aspiring senior managers, senior instructors supporting apprenticeships.
What commitment is needed to succeed in the ATS programme?
ATS is a 12-month developmental programme using an online portfolio. You will need to allow 3-4 hours a week to work on your portfolio. There will be times when you need to allow additional time particularly towards the end, when you will be writing up your improvement project. For more information on the ATS Programme and timeline, please download the ATS brochure .
Motivation
Undertaking ATS is an individual process which requires self-motivation to keep on track and meet deadlines. You need to be energised and motivated to:
explore and develop your capability, and be involved in activities which challenge and stretch you
deepen your understanding of yourself, of the teaching and learning process, and of how to influence others
Collaboration
While you complete ATS as an individual, it is essential that you engage in collaborative practice. You will take part in an inclusive joint working experience, focusing on defined tasks, to enable enhanced criticality. You will be expected to develop a collaborative culture and share, support and explore together with colleagues and peers to improve practices, strengthen pedagogy and impact positively on the learning experience.
Collaboration may be with fellow ATS participants or more senior colleagues in your institution or network. The feedback gained from collaboration (for example, critical incidents that may occur) will offer opportunities for critical reflection.